Romola
History Romola lives in the trailer park owned by Badland Jack directly opposite Dwayne's. The walls of her home (both inside and out) are covered with dozens of reminders to herself saying 'REMEMBER THE STUDIO' and 'DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES'. There are movie posters from the 50s and 60s over her bed and on her table is a Ladybird version of ‘Sleeping Beauty’. ‘DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES’ is scrawled on one of the inside pages. There’s a letter from her mum and dad saying, ‘We are all so proud of you back in Petoskey.’ She is behind on her rent and threatened with eviction. She works at the studio initally it seems as a secretary but later we find out that she is a Temple Studios actor. She dies when she drives her car into the canyon... or does she? She goes through cycles of amnesia where she slowly pieces together clues to discover who she is, before forgetting all over again. Appearance Romola is a delicate, desperate waif who usually wears a blue/green lace dress (usually ripped/torn and covered in blood) with a cardigan. Occasionally accessorised with white sunglasses and a white headband or wearing a thin red scarf around her neck. She carries a purse in which is a notepad that she uses to remind herself of things that are going on. Loop - Basic * Wakes up and hides from Gatekeeper (Car) * Stumbles through town, chased by Miguel through the woods (Trailer Park/The Woods) * 1:1 (Dwayne's Trailer) * Gets ready (Romola's Trailer) * Evicted from trailer by Badlands Jack (Romola's Trailer) * Asks Barman for directions to Temple Studios (Saloon) * Encounters Tuttle on loops 2 and 3 (Fountain in Town) * Meets Eugene Green who directs her to Temple Studios. (Grocers) * Works as secretary (Secretary's Office) * Gatekeeper delivers package (Secretary's Office) * Mistakes Frankie for Mr Stanford (Stairs) * Encounters Doctor on the way downstairs (Doctor's Office/Romola Shrine) * Delivers package and dances with Stanford (Inner Sanctum) * Gets changed with Seamstress (Studio 5) * Scene with Conrad where she discovers the keys (Studio 5) * Signs autograph for Doctor (Corridor) * Make-under with Seamstress (Seamstress Dressing Room) * Doctor forces Romola to swallow pill (Corridor) * Romola heads to the 'Canyon' (Town) * 1:1 (Motel Reception) * Dies in car (Car) Loop - Extended Romola's loop begins with her waking up in a car with a black eye and bloodied nose. The Gatekeeper flashes his light to see who is there but she hides from him by slipping into the back seat leaving her bag in the footwell. The gatekeeper retrieves her bag and upon checking the ID card returns it to her trailer with Romola dancing through the shadows behind the motel rooms trying to remain unseen. She has amnesia and doesn’t know who or where she is. She interacts with Miguel between the trailers asking if he knows her or where Bobby is. Romola then selects a white mask for a 1:1 in Dwayne's trailer: 'Details of 1:1 - '''http://thefoolsloop.tumblr.com/post/87423863358/im-sorry-im-so-so-sorry-a-loop-with-romola-part Before the Badlands Jack character was removed from the show he would arrive at this point and start harassing her. "Do you know who I am?’ she asks him. "Sure I do, I’m your landlord and you owe me six months rent for that trailer" he says pointing to the trailer opposite which he then enters and starts throwing out some of her dresses followed by her bag which she seems to recognise. She runs over to stophim. They dance and Jack eventually disappears after giving her 48 hours to get out. Romola enters her own trailer and proceeds to get ready/remove her makeup. Emptying the contents of her purse she finds tissues, glasses, screwed up paper, an ID card for Temple Studios, an orange slice and a black notepad which her name written inside. She writes Temple Studios down as a reminder further up the same page. Romola then enters the Horse and Stars bar where pulls up a stool at the bar and teases the barman by messing with the shot glass he gives her. She asks for directions to Temple Studios which he gives her but also asks "Are you feeling OK, Ms Martin?" before she runs out into the town in the direction he gave her. On the second and third loop Romola also encounters Mr Tuttle who is playing with a small car outside his store near the fountain which he gives her. The car is covered in red paint which upsets Romola. She encounters the Grocer who offers her a pea from a pair of tweezers before also giving her an orange slice commenting that it is her favorite. When she asks how he knows he says that it's because she comes here every day. After leaving the grocers she adds Oranges? to her notepad before finally discovering the gates to Temple Studio. The gatekeeper shines his light in her face as he does with everyone who approaches the studios and laughs at her when she says she believes she works there while showing him her pass. He lets her through and she finds herself in the secretary's office where she discovers that she's one of the secretary's of the studio - another reminder which she adds to her ever growing list. She settles into work pretending to answer the phone, practising her signature and moving things around on the desk until they are perfectly symmetrical. She discovers notes written by Alice that say TIDY UP THIS MESS ROMOLA and underneath another that says I'M WATCHING YOU. She then starts typing up up part of a script that ends up being the lines for her upcoming scene with Conrad. The Gatekeeper comes in, delivers the package for her to take to Stanford and is quite nasty to her in doing so telling her that it is urgent. She quickly hurries down stairs to deliver it, encountering the Doctor on her way (and adding him to her list of reminders). She meets Frankie coming up the stairs and asks if he's Mr Stanford - he laughs at her, flattered that she thought he was Stanford and directs her to go downstairs. Romola finds Mr Stanford in his inner sanctum behind the masonic temple. At first Stanford barely acknowledges that she is there but soon he is apologising to Romola. (For what we will never know...) He notices the reminder she has written on her arm and cleans it off muttering about continuity. They dance to Ketty Lester’s ‘Where or When’, Stanford spinning Romola round and round. When she stops Romola kisses him. Stanford takes her hands off him, shakes his head and tells her “No, no. Listen, I make pictures. That’s what I do. I make pictures…” She’s crushed and he tells her to slap him which she does, again and again each time with more emotion. Stanford tells her "you put all of humanity to shame". He ties a thin red scarf around her next "Right as rain. I think we’re ready. Are you ready? You were born ready" he says, turning her to face the mirror. Romola stares at her reflection as he slowly backs away, ‘You’ll put them all to shame, you’ll put all of humanity to shame. Remember the keys, Romola. Studio 5." and sends her on her way to Studio 5. She pulls out her notebook and jots down another reminder - Actress before making her way to the studio. The Seamstress notices her arrival and guides her to the dressing room. She helps Romola into her clean dress then reminds her to find the keys, leading her onto the stage for her scene with Conrad as Stanford’s voice comes over the speakers: "Cameras are rolling." Her first take fails as she misses her cue; Stanford restarts the scene: "You okay honey? You look tired… Sit down for a minute," Conrad says, slumped in his chair. "Um… could you repeat that please…," Romola replies. "Sit down for a minute…" Romola obeys, after a long pause, Conrad asks “Wasn’t that just a great night?” Romola doesn’t reply, just stares into space, smiling absently. "Baby… could you give my shoulders a rub?" asks Conrad. Stanford’s voice sounds over the speakers: “THEY’RE BEHIND THE PICTURE.” Romola lifts a picture from the wall and retrieves a set of car keys from a glowing recess hidden behind it. "Where you going, honey? You going for a drive?" asks Conrad. "I’m going to the canyon… I ain’t never seen the canyon at night…" "It’s too late," says Conrad. "I gotta go… It’s all glowing over the town… glowing like a fire raging in the sky…" "AND CUT." Stanford’s voice ends the scene. The Seamstress leads Romola into the corridor where the Doctor is waiting. He tells Romola how much he loved her scene and asks if she’d sign an autograph for him and the Seamstress encourages her to. Back in her room the Seamstress helps Romola out of her clean dress and into the ripped bloody one. Romola asks if she can wear the clean one instead but is told “It’s just for a little while,” Romola is then swept into the makeup chair where the Seamstress tilts a light directlt into her face. “Do I give these to you?” Romola asks, holding out the car keys. “No, honey. You found them. They’re yours,” she replies, closing Romola’s hand over them. The Seamstress inspects a make-up chart and starts painting bruises and blood onto Romola’s face. “Is this for my next scene?” Romola asks. “Something like that." Satisfied with the make-under, she hands Romola a mirror to inspect her reflection. Romola recoils staring at the Seamstress in horror. "What is my next scene?" she asks. "Oh honey, you're in it." comes the Seamstress' sinister reply as Romola bolts out into the corridor to escape. At the far end of the corridor is an altar, decorated with lilies, candles and a large photograph of Romola. She stops to examinine the altar while the Doctor approaches without her noticing. He grabs her, forces a blue pill into her mouth and clamps his hand over her face until she swallows. He grips her shoulders; "You’ve been in a terrible accident," he tells her. "No… it’s just make-up…," she replies. "No, a terrible, terrible accident," he insists forcefully, allowing no disagreement.. "No…," she protests more weakly this time. "No… I know what… you’re doing…" She stumbles away from him, staggers through a door, along a linking corridor and into the deserted town where she collapses in the street. She fumbles for her notebook, opens it adding a final reminder - Never Forget and stares at the list she has written noticing for the first time that the initial letters of all the words form a familiar name: STANFORD. She looks around desperately for someone to help her. She asks if one of the white masks will help her and when they say yes she drags them into the motel room for her second 1:1. '''Details of 1:1 -' http://latetothewrapparty.tumblr.com/post/74405418696/sunday-15th-december-5pm-romola-recap-part-two Romola and the white mask then head to the "canyon" in the car outside the motel. Minutes later there is a radio announcement from Stanford advising of the death of rising star Romola Martin. "She had just finished filming her latest picture, having got her break after working at the studio as a secretary. Goodnight, sweet princess. Your star burned so bright, but all too briefly." Final Show During the last show many actors reprised roles in order to say goodbye to the characters resulting in some very beautiful switches. Romola's character was switched actresses at the point Badlands Jack (who was back for the finale) comes to evict her. Trivia Quotes * "How do you know I like oranges." * "I ain't never been to the canyon at night." * "But it's make up...It's just make up!" References Category:Characters